11 Prisoners Released from Telavi Detention Setting

Natia Danelishvili, Information Center of Kakheti

11 people, detained during the dispersal of the protest demonstration on May 26 in Tbilisi, were released from the Telavi temporary detention setting. Their administrative imprisonment finished at 00:00 am on June 25. Among them is Murman Dumbadze, head of public movement “Serve Georgia” and journalist Aleko Chubinidze.

The detainees left the Telavi pretrial detention setting at 00:35 am. Their relatives were waiting for them near the setting. Head of Telavi office of the Georgian Young Lawyers Association Marekh Mgaloblishvili also attended the release process.

The chairpersons of the Kakheti regional office of the Free Georgia and Telavi district office of the New Rights also expressed their solidarity with the former prisoners. A leader of the People’s Assembly Zaza Sopromadze was waiting for them as well.

Murman Dumbadze, who was ruthlessly beaten by riot police officers, recalled the night to May 26. He said the demonstrators were tortured in the Tbilisi main department.

“People were not beaten in the Tbilisi Main Department, they were tortured in fact and I was one of them. When entering the building I saw much blood, cotton and bandage there. They kept me there before early morning and I was hearing screams of tortured people from other rooms. It is political repression but I will not change my opinion,” Murman Dumbadze told the Information Center of Kakheti.

He added that after moving to the Telavi pretrial detention setting, the detainees were hungry for several days; no hygiene norms were preserved at the detention setting at all.

“The principal requirements of the law about temporary detention setting are not implemented in the Telavi detention setting starting from personal hygiene norms, finished with walking in the yard. I could not shave for one month. We walked in the fresh air only 7 times for 15 minutes instead estimated 1 hour. I asked for glasses and book in accordance to the resolution but they did not allow my relative to bring it. The clergyman was not allowed either, though he arrived from Batumi twice to visit me. The medical service was normal. As for food, the family members used to send food to us. Initially, when we were brought there, nobody knew our whereabouts for two days until Marekh Mgaloblishvili found us there; so we were hungry. We ate on May 28 first after May 25,” said Murman Dumbadze.

Representative of the press-center of the People’s Assembly, Journalist Aleko Chubinidze also spoke about violation of prisoners’ rights.

“The situation is very difficult in the temporary detention settings, and Telavi prison shares the problem too. We could not get daily hygiene items. Our family members were sending food to us; before they learned our whereabouts, we were hungry. We walked in the fresh air only several times throughout one month. As for the dispersal, I cannot say that it was dispersal, it was rather a special operation,” Aleko Chubinidze said.

 Marekh Mgaloblishvili from the GYLA office in Telavi said they several times requested proper conditions for prisoners in the detention setting but in vain.

“Initially, prisoners were in extremely poor conditions; they did not have even food and cloths. Then, the situation improved a bit but the situation in regard with hygiene is still deteriorating. They do not have soap and even cold water in the custody; however, prisoners cannot take shower with cold water. They cannot shave. The administration believes inmates do not need hygiene. They do not allow the prisoner to walk in the fresh air either; based on our solicitation they took them for a walk only several times, but soon they stopped it,” said Marekh Mgaloblishvili.

There are 18 prisoners detained on May 26 in the detentions settings in Kakheti region – Telavi, Sighnaghi and Kvareli. More precisely, 7 persons are in Telavi. They were sentenced to 35, 40 and 60-day administrative imprisonments.